Guest Author - Darling Poor

I think my fear response to horses developed backwards. When I was young and first started riding, I was afraid. Here I was, small and extremely light, while the horses seemed immense and powerful. What hope did my little legs, barely reaching to the top of the enormous barrel chest of a horse, have in controlling this animal? Or my undeveloped arms for that matter? For all I knew, in the horse’s mind I was an overweight mosquito on their back, and would get an equal amount of respect. As I learned to ride, I grew more comfortable in the saddle. But on the ground, I still felt anxious picking out hooves and tacking up due to my diminutive height.

Now that I’m older, bigger (all of 5’ 4") and, I hope, wiser, I have much less fear. I’d like to say I have no fear but just the other day a stallion in a conformation class startled me with a powerful whinny, pulling severely on his lead rope and attempting to view, and possibly take off towards, a distant friend. It was the unexpected that caught me out that time (a good lesson to expect anything at all times when handling these amazing animals).

For most riders, a reverse relationship with fear is true. Most begin with little or no fear and develop it after dreadful spills, encounters with aggressive horses, being stepped on, crowded, rubbed off on fences, etc. Whichever way you come to fear of riding or horses in general, it is a common problem, and one which can be overcome. We’ve all had it at some point in our riding, from hobby rider to the competitive eventer, so do not feel alone.

One of the first things to realize is that confidence is contagious. I try to exude confidence at all times and this has held me in good stead. For example, at a show where I was awarding prizes, two people who appeared to be experienced around horses were getting stepped on all day. After eight hours in the ring, they had bruised and sore feet from being trampled even though they used submissive body language. Submissive body language in the absence of confidence is not an example of yielding as lead horse. I approached with confidence, was truly unafraid, and did not get stepped on once.

But, confidence - it's just a word. How does one go about actually improving confidence and reducing fear? Begin by recognizing that fear breeds fear. If a rider does not take steps to face it, it will mushroom and become more paralyzing. Training experts agree that fear can grow to resemble a common psychological disorder many people encounter at some point in their lives. For a post-injury rider, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is typical. Sometimes generalized anxiety takes over; or it can be a combination of the two.

When the mind and emotions are struggling with anxiety or PTSD, the body becomes affected. It’s not just the discomfort of a racing heart, sweaty palms or uneasiness in your stomach, but fearful body language. This telegraphs to the horse, causing a breakdown in the relationship. As important as body language is to natural horsemanship, one can understand how fear and loss of confidence would be a spiraling problem.

The good news is that treatment for PTSD and anxiety is available and success rates are overwhelmingly positive. Taken step by step, 1) guided meditation, 2) breathing exercises, and 3) positive visualization can get riders back in the saddle, regaining, and even improving, their prior confidence. The anxious rider should seek guidance with a professional who has dealt with fear issues to help learn these methods.

One trainer who has developed a program for fear is Julie Goodnight, certified Master Instructor and Clinician. Julie Goodnight’s web page has two quality materials on overcoming fear: a CD entitled Building Your Confidence With Horses, and a book she co-authored called Ride With Confidence!. Another excellent source is Positively Riding by Teresa Hughes. She provides a wealth of resources that can soon have you putting the jitters to rest.

In fact, it is a good idea not to wait until we develop debilitating anxiety before investigating confidence improving techniques. Improved confidence can only aid the natural horsewoman. Coping with fear is just another aid that needs to be learned and developed, like a balanced seat.